Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Celebrating the 4th and BACK to Tuesday Traditions!!!!

We have been waking up to some pretty dramatic thunder storms the last few nights!
Sunday - or I guess it was actually MONDAY - morning around 1:00 I woke up to a thunderous downpour and lightning that lit up everything like a movie set!!!
I got up and ran out to the gazebo to get my iPad I had left out there!
By the time we got up later everything was cooler - for a little while - and the skies had cleared.

I made up a batch of Potato Salad using a composite a favorite bloggers recipes.
Betsy of Estelle's boasted at least half a dozen recipes when I put 'potato salad' in the search box!
I learned how to search a blog from Sandra at The Mad Snapper!
We packed up the salad and headed over to Quadville to celebrate the 4th in Patriotic Red, White and Blue style!!!



You can see we all dressed for the occasion!!


Aunt Summer had bought such cute outfits for the quads and they just looked adorable!


Amber is still recovering from her foot surgery and has done too much since she came home on Saturday but that's what mothers DO!!


A child's laughter is one of the sweetest sounds in the world!!


THIS is one of the sweetest little girls EVER!!!
This is our Kailey!


We had quite a spread of food!
While Mike was outside grilling Kailey was sitting there waiting with a hot dog bun in her hand!!!


She was ready to eat!
That child eats constantly and is a skinny as a rail!!!


For dessert, Mike's parents made some homemade ice cream!
Is there anything more like the 4th of July than hot dogs, watermelon and ice cream???


Just as she was waiting for the hot dogs to get off the grill......
Kailey was in a hurry for that ice cream to get DONE!


At LAST!!!!!


Logan love it, too!
I think they made TWO batches and we probably ate up both of them!!


My Amber with her daughters!
You can see that Amber is wearing her boot like a good patient!

After we had eaten as much as we could hold, it was time to clean up the table and kitchen and head out for the fireworks.


I rode with the kids and Amber while Mike took his parents and Louis Dean with him in his truck.


I think Kailey is singing 'Going to see FIREWORKS!!!'


And here we all are!!!!
Amber worked her magic and got a pic of everyone!!!


I wore the stars and stripes dress I bought last week at the hospital gift shop.
Trystan said, "MeeMaw, you look so pretty!"
Ahhhhhh.........


We went to the same place we did last year......
I can't say where it is because I have no clue. All I know is you can see the fireworks well enough without it being so close that it scares little ones - or bothers older ones!
Also it is a field by a Racetrack gas station and we just pulled up there and parked on the side.


The kids ran around playing and running off all that ice cream while we just sat and enjoyed watching them!


I ask Trystan, "What does MeeMaw do every single time I look at you???"
She says, "Smile!!!!" They ALL make me smile!


While I didn't get fireworks in this photo, I did capture what we came to see.....
it is so much fun to watch life happen through the eyes of children!

It was all over by 10:00 and by 10:30 we were heading home and by 11:30 I was showered and IN BED!!! Lights out and no reading! Once again the lightning and thunder hit about 1:00 AM.
I wonder if all the fireworks has upset the atmosphere!! There was only a 10% chance of rain!!


We have had no cause to be concerned about water in the house this year thanks to all that Louis Dean did LAST year to fix the problem. However.......
I had a feeling there might be this morning and sure enough!!!
Not anything like we have had before but enough to have to suck it up and turn on the fans.


I left Louis Dean to do all that while I picked Ruth Ann up and we hit the Starplex for a fifty cent movie and a $5 senior combo of popcorn and small drink. I spent an extra $1 to get a hot dog!!!!


What an excellent movie!
Based on a true story, this film truly touched my heart.

From there we hit up the Goodwill!


I scored with some tops, two DVDs for the kids, a cute bag for make up, one pair of brand new shorts, a Christmas container, fall table runner AND - last but not least - a nice long dress that is super comfy and the perfect length in front with it being a little longer in the back making it look extra cool.


I am going to wear the blue tee in the morning with a pair of denim 'short- alls!'
They look like a pair of Louis Dean's cover alls but they are short.
I can't wait to see the kids' faces when they see me!!!
Granddad and I will MATCH!!! Nearly......

Ruth Ann and I had stopped at The Curiosity Shop on our way to the movies.
I bought a can of Wise Owl Chalk Paint to refinish a bedside table - that I didn't even HAVE - YET!!!
From there we stopped at the DAV where I FOUND what I was looking for!!!!


I wanted something for beside the guest room bed for the lamp and a place to put your glasses and a book. Right now the lamp is on a box sitting on top of a large wicker basket.
I had $20 in mind to spend but this was just $10!! That helped pay for the expensive paint! When I pulled the top drawer out, I noticed it's a Broyhill!

I'm going to start on this tomorrow!!!

I dropped Ruth Ann off and came home to take pictures of all my loot and freshen up the house before ART CLASS!!!!!


I have had that bottle of Peach Bellini in the gazebo fridge for weeks now!!!
Finally, we are doing art again!


Sherry arrived with all the makings of Personal Pizzas!!


We had a great time.
It was wonderful to get out the oils and take the top off of the turpentine!!!
It STILL smells like art in my house tonight!!
The canvas above is what I started the last time we painted.
It was just based in and tonight I gave it more interest and depth.


You do that with darker values. I have at least two more sessions to go but it is getting there.
Sometimes I work top to bottom, finishing each area as I go. In this one, I work top to bottom all over the canvas every time and build up the colors. I will deepen the sky and define the sun rays, starighten that horizon line and put a few more darks and highlights on the distant rocky area before moving down to define the waves and surf.

Ruth Ann is working on a church in the country and Sherry brought her embroidery.


Sherry is one of the most creative people I know!!
She is embellishing a tea towel and using a real peacok feather as a pattern which she drew on herself. She also made - from scratch - her very own incubator for her peacock eggs!!

It felt so good to have a 'normal' Tuesday with all its traditions!!!
Speaking of traditions.......it is only 57 days until September 1st!!!!

I'll close tonight's journal entry with a photo from three years ago!!!


Amber and Mike moved into their 'forever home' exactly three years ago yesterday!!!
Just look at those sweet babies!!!
They sure didn't stay that little that long!!!

20 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

YEAH!!! You are finally back to your old fun self! You are such a talented artist!! I could never paint like this! I hope I get to see you in that blue outfit. I love those pretty red patriotic ponytail holders! Your Broyhill looks like our bedroom furniture, with the dental molding trim around it! We have two nightstands.

Deb said...

I'm so happy you are you again❤️ Love you sweet friend 😃

Vee said...

What fun to see all the fun! That Harrison must look like his daddy because he surely looks like his paternal grandmother. Yup. Good-looking family all the way around. ☺ Loved hearing Kailey's song and seeing the children romp. Glad that you are back to doing all the things you love, Linda. It's what makes this old world go around...love and fun and the joy of The Lord.

Carol said...

Looks like the fun is back and that you are feeling much better. I love the dresses that the girls had on for the Fourth.

Estelle's said...

This post made my heart sing! You are back!!! Art, goodwill shopping, wine and the babies..who, by the way, look absolutely adorable in their precious holiday attire! Art class is back in action! Life is good!!!

Debbie said...

awwww, those miracle babies, forever adorable!! i am exhausted after reading your post...i need a nap, i don't know how ya'll do it!!! our 4th looked very similar, i can't get over all the cute outfits they have for the little ones now. they never had that cute stuff when my boys were little!!!

your painting is beautiful!!!!

MadSnapper said...

all of you look so festive and i just love the girls dresses.. that painting is gorgeous... sounds like you are back back back to all you do. for that i am thankful... thrift stores and picnics and quads OH MY

Changes in the wind said...

Love the quads fourth of July outfits!! Glad you are feeling more up to par and back to painting and doing the things you love.

Linda said...

Good to see you back in action.!! Darling outfits Aunt Summer provided. Always enjoy Kailey's expressions and long skinny feet. She's definitely a member of the sisterhood. Amazed Amber got everyone in that group selfie. We make homemade ice cream once a year on grandson's birthday. A Texas tradition.Amazed how well all of you looked after a day of Texas heat. Looking forward to seeing you in your overalls and learning what the quads had to say about MeMaw in overalls. Kailey will want to wear overalls too.

Deanna Rabe - Creekside Cottage Blog said...

What fun you had on the Fourth and on Tuesday!

Can't wait to see your bedside table after you paint it! What fun!

Bev said...

What a fun day....cute 4th of July clothes!!! You are quite the bargain finding!!!....

Linda said...

It is good to see you back to normal. Life is so much more fun with little ones around. We had a very quiet 4th, but I was ok with that. your art: you are so talented.

Susie said...

Linda, It seems so long ago, the children were that small. I loved seeing them excited for the fireworks. Your family wore their red,white, and blue...we did too. Sherry's needle work is awesome. I loved it. You and sweet Ruth Ann...I love when you have time together. Blessings to all of you, love you so much, xoxo, Susie

Linda Reeder said...

My goodness you are a busy person! Adorable kids. Looks like you had a great family Fourth.

Latane Barton said...

Love how you all dressed up so patriotic for the 4th... and girl, you got a hotdog for a dollar? Unbelievable!!

Judy said...

Your 4th of July festivities with family looked like a whole lot of fun! And your sweet granddaughters in their patriotic dresses were just adorable! It looks like much the kind of celebration we have over here on July 1st...a lot of family, food and fireworks! Love it.

Gypsy Heart said...

Fun times and making more memories! So glad you're feeling better and back to "you". :)

xo
Pat

Kelly said...

It looks like you had a wonderful 4th of July with your family! The kids are getting so big. I agree that there is nothing better than hotdogs, watermelon and icecream for that holiday! I have never made homemade icecream. I love it though. I think I need to buy an icecream machine for sure. That movie looks like a good one. I haven't seen it yet either.

Penny said...

I love your landscape painting Linda, it looks like the Scottish mountains. Wonderful. Love Sabrina's embroidery skills too! X

Carla said...

You had a full day. That oceanscape looks awesome. Wow peacock eggs? Sounds cool